Lowering device



Feb. 19, 1929. 1,702,554

c. w, WALKER LOWERING msvwir 'Filed Oct. 10, 192? I. 5 I j 9 8 Ira/enter(bar/es W Walks/1 Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,702,554 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES w. WALKER, 0F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR To WALKER-WALLACE LIMITED, or. TORONTO, CANADA.

LOWERING DEVICE.

Application filed October 10, 1927. Serial No. 2925377.

minimum of labour and the maximum of speed.

he principal feature of the lnvention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of a rotatable spiral member in conjunction with aguide-way whereby the can or package is lowered down the guide-way at auniform speed of movement regulated by contact with the spiral member.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevational View of my improveddevice.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View havlng a portion of the verticalguide broken away.

Figure 3 is a top plan.

This invention is extremely simple and consists of a guide-way which maybe arranged in a vertical position or at an incline and is here shown inthe form of a part cylindrical sheet metal structure 1 which extendsbetween two floors of a building.

At the upper end of the guide 1 is arranged a platform 2 which is formedwith slde flanges 3 and a circular hopper opening 4. through whichthecans or packages are directed into the guide. A shield 5 is arranged atthe Outward end of the platform to stop the end movement of the cans atthe hopper.

A journal bearing 6 is arranged at the end of the guide-way adjacent tothe hopper 4 and in this hearing is journalled a vertical shaft 7 whichis stepped in a bearing 8 arranged in the bottom guide 9.

The shaft 7 has secured thereto a spirally shaped rod 10 which issupported from the shaft at intervals throughout its length by the rigidspacing bars 11. The top end 12 of the rod-10 is secured in the shaft asalso is the bottom end 13.

The spiral rod is so arranged that it extends into the open side of thepart cylindrical guide 1 and forms an obstruction to the cans orpackages that are to be directed down through the device.

The shaft is operated by a suitable motor 14 geared to the shaft througha worm gear 15 which turns the shaft at the desired speed.

The bottom end of the guide 1 is supported by a bracket 16 and thebottom platform 9 is provided with side flanges 17 to uide the cans orpackages away from the gulde. The

lower end of the guide is Open at the back a sufficient height from thebottom to permit the cans or packages to be ejected to the bot tom guide9 when they reach the bottom.

A looped arm 18 is secured to the shaft at the bottom end in such aposition that it moves into engagement with each can or package that isdeposited on the bottom member 9 and pushes it outwardly between theflanged sides thereof from whence it is moved by suitable means.

I prefer to arrange a spacing device at the top of the lowering memberso that the cans or packages to be lowered will be spaced apart and thisis arranged in the form of a circular plate 19 secured to the upper endof the shaft and extending between the hopper 4 and the upper end of theguide 1. plate is provided with a slot opening 20 which extends over aportion of the arc of a circle. The blank space between the ends oftheslot is adapted to support a can or package from sliding into theguide until the slot 20 moves to the open position. It thus forms aspacingdevice to hold the cans Or packages apart.

In the operation of, this device, the cans or packages to be loweredfrom one floor to another in a building are placed on the plat form 2and moved along bet-ween the flanges 0 until they slip into the hopper4, being guided by the shield 5.

If the plate 19 is so positioned that the upper end of the spiral rod 10is just passing under the hopper, the slot 20 will be open and the canor package will drop through the hopper and its bottom will rest uponthe rotating spiral rod. Gravity actuatcs the package to follow down theguide as the spiral turns and the spiral holds the package from slidingfree, thus a'plurality of packages may be entered in the guide and bemoved through the same at the same time without coming into contact orwithout being injured by being ammed together in any way.

When the lowering spiral deposits the can or package upon the lowerreceiving bracket the looped arm'18 travelling with the shaft pushes thecan or package out through the back opening in the guide and makes roomfor the next succeeding package to land.

The device is extremely simple and may be manufactured with any desiredstrength to lower any weight of article to be handled. Very little poweris required to operate the spiral as it merely requires to be turned ata This uniform speed and only snihciently to overcome the friction ofthe spiral shaft against the edgeof the package.

The device is shown of cylindrical form but it may be of a rectangularform to suit other forms of merchandise or packages to be handled or anysize or shape of package may be handled in the device that will not slipthrough the guide without being engaged by the spiral shaft.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A lowering device, comprising a guide arranged to guide articlesdownwardly and closed at the bottom, a spiral member arranged externalto said guide and having its axis parallel with the guide, means forregulating the speed of rotation of said spiral men'iber to effect thelowering of articles in the guide at a regulated speed, and means fordirecting the articles to be lowered one at a time into the top of saidguide.

2. A lowering device, comprising a tubular guide having a slot extendinglongitudinally thereof from end to end, a spiral member journalledexternal to the guide and parallel therewith and having its perimeterextending through the slot in the guide to engage and lower articlesplaced in the guide, means for regulating the speed of rotation of thespiral member, and means arranged at the end of the spiral for ejectingthe arti cles from the guide.

8. A lowering device, comprising a tubular guide having a longitudinalopening in one side thereof and an opening in the opposite side at thebottom, a spiral member having its axis journalled in parallel relationto the guide and having its perimeter extending through the longitudinalopening therein and adapted to lower articles placed in the guide, meansfor regulating the speed of rotation of said spiral member, and meansarranged at the bottom of the spiral member for ejecting the articleslowered in the guide through the bottom opening in the guide.

A lowering device, comprising a tubular guide having a longitudinalopening in the side, a platform arranged on the top of the guide havingan opening therethrough leading to the guide, a spiral member journalledparallel to the axis of the guide and extending through the longitudinalopening of the guide and adapted to engage articles passed through theopening in said platform and to lower them in the guide, and means forregulating the operation of the spiral member.

5. A lowering device, comprising a part cylindrical guide having theopen side thereof extending from end to end, a spiral shaft jonrnalledat its top and bottom ends parallel with said guide and extendingthrough the side opening, means for regulating the speed of rotation ofsaid spiral member, a platform arranged at the bottom of the guide, anopening from said guide at the bottom arranged in alignment with saidplatform, an arm secured to said spiral shaft at the bottom adapted toengage and move articles lowered by the spiral member on said platformthrough the opening in the guide, and means for directing articles to belowered into the top of said guide.

6. A lowering device, comprising a guide closed at one end, a spiralmember arranged external to the guide and rotating on its axis to engageand move the articles placed in the guide, and means operating in unisonwith the spiral member for removing the articles from the guide.

CHARLES W. WALKER.

